Determinants of Health Literacy and Healthy Lifestyle against Metabolic Syndrome among Major Ethnic Groups of Sarawak, Malaysia : A Multi-Group Path Analysis

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases like metabolic syndrome can be prevented and controlled by practicing healthy lifestyle. Although health literacy is a critical factor in lifestyle modification to prevent non-communicable diseases and its complications, its role on metabolic syndrome prevention is still understudied. Objective: The main aim of this study was to identify the determinants of health literacy and healthy lifestyle practice against metabolic syndrome among multi-ethnic group of Sarawak based on health literacy skills framework. Methods: Using a stratified multistage sampling, a total of 1006 respondents were recruited to represent the major ethnic groups in Sarawak, Malaysia. Moderator variables, mediator variables and outcome variable (healthy lifestyle practice) were tested using path analysis to examine multiple and interrelated dependence relationships. Multi-group analysis was performed to compare structural models between major ethnic groups in Sarawak, namely Malay/Melanau, Native groups and Chinese. Results: Female respondents and those with higher education status were more likely to have better healthy lifestyle practice. Greater level of health literacy was positively significant with both disease knowledge and healthy lifestyle practice. Participants with good understanding of disease knowledge can directly influence healthy lifestyle. Simultaneously, health literacy and metabolic syndrome knowledge can mediate the relationship between sociodemographic variables, service accessibility, medical and family history with practice of healthy lifestyle. Multi-group path analysis indicated differences in causal pathway leading to healthy lifestyle practice among the ethnic groups

Simultaneous measurement of high refractive index and temperature based on SSRS-FBG

In this study, a novel and simple optical fiber sensor is proposed, simulated, and experimentally demonstrated for simultaneous measurement of high refractive index (RI) and temperature. The sensor consists of a section of single-mode-silica rod-single-mode (SSRS) fiber structure cascaded to fiber Bragg grating (FBG) (SSRS-FBG). The simultaneous measurement of high RI and temperature was realized in this study by monitoring the output power level and wavelength shift of the SSRS-FBG single dip transmission spectrum corresponding to different surrounding high RI and ambient temperature values. The experimental results showed that the cascaded sensor had a sensitivity of 108.07 dBm/RIU for high RI ranging at 1.45-1.531, while the temperature sensitivity was 9.31 pm/°C from 35 °C to 85 °C. This sensor is most suitable for high RI applications, such as for monitoring oil quality stored in terminal and power transformers

Quantum dot optomechanics in suspended nanophononic strings

The optomechanical coupling of quantum dots and flexural mechanical modes is studied in suspended nanophononic strings. The investigated devices are designed and monolithically fabricated on an (Al)GaAs heterostructure. Radio frequency elastic waves with frequencies ranging between $f$=250 MHz to 400 MHz are generated as Rayleigh surface acoustic waves on the unpatterned substrate and injected as Lamb waves in the nanophononic string. Quantum dots inside the nanophononic string exhibit a 15-fold enhanced optomechanical modulation compared to those dynamically strained by the Rayleigh surface acoustic wave. Detailed finite element simulations of the phononic mode spectrum of the nanophononic string confirm, that the observed modulation arises from valence band deformation potential coupling via shear strain. The corresponding optomechanical coupling parameter is quantified to $0.15 \mathrm{meV nm^{-1}}$. This value exceeds that reported for vibrating nanorods by approximately one order of magnitude at 100 times higher frequencies. Using this value, a derive vertical displacements in the range of 10 nm is deduced from the experimentally observed modulation. The results represent an important step towards the creation of large scale optomechanical circuits interfacing single optically active quantum dots with optical and mechanical waves.Comment: Submitted manuscrip

Biphasic nanocomposite films of polypyrrole and poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) using a surface-tethered dopant strategy

Using a newly invented surface-tethered dopant approach for the electrochemical polymerization growth of conductive polymer films, nanocomposites are created consisting of two distinct phases of polypyrrole (PPy) and Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The growth of the conductive nanocomposite films takes advantage of the unique way in which a conductive polymer film forms when grown using a surface-tethered dopant, starting out as a highly nanoporous film that gradually becomes more and more solid as additional polymer deposition occurs preferentially within the nanopores rather than at the films outer surface. Nanocomposite films can thus be fabricated simply and controllably by first growing one nanoporous conductive polymer film followed by the deposition of a second conductive polymer within the nanopores of the first. This study investigates the morphological and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite films grown using a surface-tethered dopant and how these properties are affected by simple changes in electrochemical polymerization parameters